This invention relates to an automatic apparatus for partially filling with a liquid a cylindrical vial having one open end, inserting a plug into the open end and fitting a cap onto the open end.
The vials for which this invention is specifically intended are glass vials which are used in hypodermic syringes of a certain type. The invention will, consequently, be described in connection with such vials. It will, of course, be understood that in principle, the invention is applicable to other vials and containers.
For some cases of heart failure, the person suffering the heart failure is resuscitated by a first aid treatment including the injection of a solution of sodium bicarbonate directly into the heart, by means of a hypodermic syringe. The sodium bicarbonate solution is contained in a cylindrical glass vial. The vial contains a plug and has an open end which is capped. The plug functions as a plunger for the hypodermic syringe. The cap preserves the sterility of the inside of the vial. Manual filling, plugging, and capping of the vials is out of the question for economic reasons. It is highly desirable to provide a single, automatic machine which effects all three operations.
It is a primary object of the invention to provide such a machine.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.